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USC Sea Grant Director Karla Heidelberg’s passion for the ocean has taken her from the Atlantic and Pacific shores of the United States to the icy waters of Antarctica’s Southern Ocean. (USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Environment
Utilizing environmental science to influence policy management: Karla Heidelberg
The director of USC Sea Grant brings over 25 years of expertise as a scientist, educator, and leader in ocean research, education, policy, and community engagement.
USC Trojan Family Magazine highlights Trojans who have significantly impacted sustainability at the University of Southern California.
Few individuals have navigated the world’s oceans as thoroughly as Karla Heidelberg. Journeying from the Atlantic and Pacific shores of the United States to the frigid waters of Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, Heidelberg has dedicated her life to comprehending that which envelops 70% of the planet’s surface. This is why leading USC Sea Grant — the university’s coastal management research center, a collaboration between the university and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — is such an excellent match.
“The significance of what I am able to do now with USC Sea Grant is conducting meaningful science,” Heidelberg states. “It’s science that will integrate into actual policies for the benefit of the community.”
Initial research and the journey to USC
Heidelberg cultivated her affection for the ocean later in her career than many of her colleagues. Her first encounter living by the coast arose during graduate studies when she received her doctorate in biological oceanography from the University of Maryland. A role with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Oceans Affairs afterward represented her initial entry into public policy.
“That was the first occasion where I had the chance to translate fundamental science to an applied level,” Heidelberg mentions. “That was an essential career step because from that point on, I was an oceanographer with global policy experience.”
She then transitioned to a role at the J. Craig Venter Institute — a genomic research nonprofit dedicated to scientific advancements to enhance human health and environmental sustainability. This position required her to delve deeper into the Earth’s oceans: For the following three years, she coordinated an expedition involving a research vessel collecting seawater samples every 200 miles to investigate microbial biodiversity.
“The publications that emerged from that were incredibly impressive in revealing true biodiversity in the oceans and on our planet,” Heidelberg says.
Subsequently, Heidelberg joined the faculty at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences — a position she accepted alongside her husband. John also serves as a professor of biological sciences and environmental studies at USC Dornsife and is currently the director of the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, where they resided with their two children during the initial seven years of their time at USC.
“Scientifically, Catalina Island is remarkable because it’s just 26 miles off the coast
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of L.A. and, to some degree, a significantly distinct ocean ecosystem compared to the Port of L.A. and the shorelines of Southern California,” Heidelberg states. “It offered an excellent opportunity to design studies that examined the disparities between the two ecosystems.”
Antarctic investigation
Her tenure at USC led to her inaugural research expedition to Antarctica to investigate how algae endure in extreme environments.
“Antarctica was a transformative experience,” Heidelberg remarks. “I gained a valuable perspective on the diverse types of research conducted on the continent and how individuals are addressing changing environmental conditions.”
This experience resulted in a position with the National Science Foundation as the director of the organization’s Antarctic Program, where she assisted in obtaining funding and prioritizing scientific endeavors for the U.S. presence on the continent. During her three expeditions to Antarctica, she visited each base — McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Palmer Station.
“Each expedition offered me the chance to observe widely varied research,” Heidelberg expresses. “From physical scientists to biological oceanographers to ecologists investigating adaptations in mammals or whales.”
USC Sea Grant’s influence
In 2023, Heidelberg was appointed to lead USC Sea Grant following the retirement of former Director Linda Duguay. As director of USC Sea Grant, Heidelberg orchestrates the collaboration between NOAA and USC, fostering stronger partnerships with California universities, the public sector, and state natural resource administrators. All these components work collectively toward the shared objective of enhancing resilience in ocean and coastal communities.
“We integrate research, outreach, and education in addressing urgent needs,” Heidelberg asserts. “We are a national leader in how we manage densely populated areas and ocean ecosystems.”
A significant aspect of USC Sea Grant is that the research directly influences policy decisions. The USC program operates within a national network of 34 Sea Grant programs. USC Sea Grant benefits the greater Los Angeles area and communities throughout the state, leveraging expertise from other universities to enact positive changes for all.
“It’s one of the rare programs that genuinely assists in translating science into actionable knowledge for people, which is exceedingly important,” Heidelberg notes. “We’re utilizing science to aid managers, government officials, stakeholders, and partners in understanding what their communities will resemble in 10, 20, 50, and 100 years, enabling them to make informed decisions today.”
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